


The Tourney

by ABSedarian



Series: Thirty Worlds (AU Challenge) [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU Challenge, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Challenge on Infinite Earths, F/F, at least sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-02
Updated: 2015-05-02
Packaged: 2018-03-28 18:11:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3864763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ABSedarian/pseuds/ABSedarian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Challenge on Infinite Earths / AU Challenge</p><p>Day 3: Medieval</p><p>After their return to the Enchanted Forest, Emma Swan gets ready for her first tourney to fight for her love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Tourney

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Not my characters.
> 
> A/N: This was posted on my tumblr before.

“Are you sure I have to wear all this crap?” 

Snow sighed. “Emma, _you_ were the one who wanted to be a knight rather than the princess you really are,” she said through gritted teeth, barely hiding her disappointment at that decision. “Now you just have to deal with the consequences.” 

“Buck up, baby girl,” David told her with a wide grin. “Man, I still remember my first tourney.” 

Emma played with her gauntlets. “Difference is you could ride … and sort of wield a lance, I bet,” she muttered. “My only experience with this kind of thing is watching _Ivanhoe_ on TV when I was a kid.” 

“Ivanhoe was on TV?” Snow asked, eyes wide. “Did you see Rowena as well?” 

“Ivanhoe is _real_?” Emma gasped, and not for the first time since their return to the Enchanted Forest _for an extended vacation_ as she called it. 

David laughed loudly. “You fall for that every time, Emma.” He patted her back in sympathy. 

“Yeah well, how should I know what’s real and what’s not?” Emma looked down at the pile of armor at her feet, wondering how she was supposed to get this all on her body without hurting herself. “Shouldn’t I have a page or something to help me?” she asked, ignoring that it sounded more like a whine. 

David cleared his throat. “I thought today I’d do the honors, if you don’t mind,” he said with a small smile. “Henry wanted to do it, but I don’t think that would have been as helpful as he thought. I told him he could do it next time.” 

“There will be no next time,” Emma growled. “Not if I can help it.” 

Snow gave her a long look. “You know there’s an easy way to prevent that,” she pointed out. “Just get married already.” Before Emma could say anything she left, leaving Emma and her father alone in the large tent. 

“Why would that dumbass even challenge me?” she asked her father who was kneeling at her feet, separating the various metal pieces from each other. “It doesn’t make any sense.” 

David looked up at her. “But you see, Emma,” he said gently. “In this world it does. As long as you’re not married or at least betrothed, you both can be pursued. And Robin decided it was worth a chance.” 

“Because that stupid Tink couldn’t keep her mouth shut about that freakin’ fairy dust that she sprinkled a lifetime ago.” Emma rolled her eyes. “She’s _my_ true love, Dad, no matter what some fairy magic said.” 

“I know,” David agreed simply, and Emma marveled at how accepting her parents were of Regina and her. Not that it hadn’t taken a while, she thought, but in the end … “I was there, remember? I was standing right next to you, in fact, when you kissed her and nearly flattened half of Storybrooke with the magic you made.” He chuckled. “I think Zelena is probably still up in that tree your magic tossed her in, clinging to that flying monkey of hers.” 

Emma grinned widely. “Hey, that was my ex-boyfriend,” she joked. 

David shook himself in apparent disgust. “I never thought I’d be saying this, but I’m _so_ glad you fell in love with Regina instead of him.” 

Emma’s smile lit her eyes from within. “I fell in love with her long before she even sent me to New York,” she whispered softly. 

David fastened the leg plates around her thighs. “In Neverland?” he asked, somehow already knowing the answer. 

“Yeah.” Emma cleared her throat. “Having to leave Storybrooke almost killed me, and not just because of you and Snow.” 

“Did Regina know?” They had never talked about all of this, David realized, and now he was even more glad that he had volunteered for this job. 

Emma nodded. “She knew … we _both_ knew.” Her eyes clouded over as she remembered that horrible day. “None of you ever knew how much of a sacrifice Regina was really making that day to make sure Henry and I stayed safe.” 

David patted her calf. “I’m glad it all worked out okay.” 

“With the exception of that hooded dude who can’t take a hint,” Emma sighed. “And who knows how many other guys beside him?” 

“Emma.” David got up from his knees and put his hands on her shoulder. “You know how to make it stop.” 

Emma bit her lip. “But what if she never wants to get married again?” she asked, sounding small. “It’s not like her first marriage was a walk in the park, no matter what Snow might think.” 

“Have you ever talked about it?” 

Emma shook her head, missing the way David smiled at something over her shoulder. “I don’t know how to bring it up,” she admitted. “I don’t want to hurt her or pressure her … and if I _have_ to, I will put on armor and duel for the right to love her every damn day for the rest of my life.” 

“I don’t think that’s how I want to spend the rest of our life together, Ms. Swan,” Regina said from behind her. David nodded at her and took a few steps back, excusing himself to give the two women some privacy. “Especially considering how short that life would probably be.” 

Emma turned around. “What … what are you saying?” 

Regina rolled her eyes. “I’m saying, my beautiful idiot, that you’d better get on one knee fast before Robin skewers you on a lance.” 

“Get on my knee?” Emma asked, proving to Regina that her Charming genes sometimes still shone through. “What—?” 

“Because if you won’t do it, I’ll have to,” Regina explained _almost_ patiently, making sure to use small words. “And my dress is far too nice for this grubby floor.” 

A lightbulb went on inside Emma’s head. “You want to marry me? Really?” she asked, awed by the thought. “Just so I don’t have to duel the forest-smelling guy?” 

Regina rolled her eyes again, which were suspiciously moist now. “No, I want to marry you so I don’t have to marry _him_ after he beats you today,” she husked. 

“You don’t think I can win?” Emma looked offended. 

“ _You_ don’t think you can win, dear,” Regina pointed out dryly. “Besides, I’ve gotten used to having you around … and …” She fell quiet and avoided Emma’s eyes. 

“And?” Emma asked once she had lifted Regina’s face and could see her eyes again. She didn’t know what to expect but it wasn’t the excited gleam she found in their dark depths. “And what?” 

Regina took Emma’s hand and pressed it against her flat belly, just below her navel. “And … if we could avoid getting you killed today, this little one won’t have to grow up without its mother.” 

Outside the tent, David chuckled softly at the excited _“whoohoo”_ he could hear from Emma. He called over one of the guards and told him to go find Robin Hood. There was not going to be any duel today. Or any other day. 

Then he sighed and went to find his wife. He owed her a hundred gold pieces. His bet had Emma caving _after_ getting her into her full armor, not before. 

**The End**

**Author's Note:**

> Next up: Spies!


End file.
